Peterborough County’s warden is looking forward to seeing the James A. Gifford Causeway project in Bridgenorth completed in 2024, especially the lighted walkway with its learning opportunity about the Indigenous history of the area.
With the causeway’s roadworks tender substantially completed in November 2023, the county expects the installation of lighting along the new multi-use path to be wrapped up by mid-winter 2024, according to a recent Peterborough County media release.
Warden Bonnie Clark said seeing progress on the project continue is one of the initiatives underway in Peterborough County that she’s looking forward to watching unfold this year.
“There are a couple of things I’m excited about, and certainly one is the James Gifford causeway,” Clark told kawarthaNOW. “That project is the largest one that Peterborough County has ever done, so we’re hoping to bring it to fruition this year.”
The warden said one feature of the project is particularly interesting.
“We’ve collaborated with Curve Lake (First Nation), and we’re doing a lighted walkway and interpretation along that walkway across the causeway,” Clark noted. “I’m really looking forward to that. I think it’s going to be informative and (it’s) a beautiful setting for that walk across.”
The county said the design of the next phase of the causeway construction is currently being finalized and will include extensive rehabilitation work on the Chemong bridge. The construction tender for this work is expected to be issued for public bidding in February.
The construction contract will encompass repairing Chemong bridge’s superstructure and substructure, excavating and replacing deteriorated concrete deck sections, and renewing the asphalt surface on the bridge, the county noted.
A new concrete sidewalk on the south side of the Chemong bridge connection to that new multi-use path and the installation of the pathway lighting are also part of the project. In addition, the construction contract includes a road reconstruction component, extending from west of the Chemong bridge to the Kelly Boulevard/Garthorne Avenue intersection.
Peterborough County said construction will begin in the spring and be completed in November.
More details and a schematic of the bridgeworks plan is available on the county’s website.
In other areas of development, Clark is anticipating in 2024 the return — and hopeful approval — of Peterborough County’s official plan from the province.
The warden said the county is also working with the City of Peterborough this year on negotiating the consolidated municipal service agreement between the two local governments. The document outlines where the responsibilities for services fall, such as the county overseeing the paramedic service for the county and city. Meanwhile, social services and social housing fall under the city’s umbrella provided for the county.
In an earlier story with kawarthaNOW, the warden highlighted health care and housing in Peterborough County as two of the key challenges for 2024.
Clark, who is also the deputy mayor of the Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan, took office for Peterborough County in December 2022. Her career in public service began more than 20 years ago as a township councillor for then Otonabee Township. She has served as deputy mayor of the amalgamated Otonabee-South Monaghan and as a member of county council since 2018.
